Share the bed for health

Article By: Phoenix Miles

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You might grumble about how loudly your partner snores, or how you have to fight for your half of the duvet, but sleeping in the same bed as your partner can actually improve your health.

That's because sleeping in close proximity with someone you trust can help you to be more at ease and secure resulting in better rest at night, according to a recent study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh, USA.

Researchers think that sleeping in the same bed can lower the stress hormone cortisol which is responsible for all kinds of nasty health problems such as heart disease, depression and auto-immune disorders.

And since sleep is considered a "critically important health behaviour", it's important that we find ways to get enough of it, says head researcher Wendy Troxel.

A long term partner who is a restless sleeper or who snores loudly seems to have little impact on your ability to get a good night's rest.

In a 2009 study conducted by Troxel, women who slept with a partner reported being able to fall asleep quicker and woke up less frequently than those who were single or who had lost or gained a partner during the six to eight-year long study.

Not only does sharing a bed help to reduce stress levels, it may also help to boost the bonding hormone, oxytocin.

"Sleeping together will increase oxytocin levels, providing you are happy in the relationship," Dr David Hamilton confirmed in an article by the Daily Mail.

The health benefits of oxytocin include reduction in inflammation, lower blood pressure and even an improved mental state.

Results of a recent study conducted in Malmo University Hospital in Sweden even found that the hormone can impact our digestive system. In fact, lower levels of oxytocin have been found to be common in patients who suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

"And oxytocin has a super-spiral effect; the more physical contact you have, the more oxytocin you’ll produce, which causes you to want more contact, and so on . . . Oxytocin can have an addictive effect," said Hamilton.

Your partner may also be key to helping you diagnose sleeping disorders early on such as sleep apnoea - a symptom of which is snoring, but that can cause major blockage of the airway. The condition can also increase the risk of the developing diabetes, stroke and heart disease later on.

"I spoke with a man who slept every night cuddling his wife and so immediately noticed when she had a seizure," Paul Rosenblatt of the University of Minnesota is quoted by the Daily Mail as saying.

While the benefits of sleeping together are many, couples who share a healthy and stable relationship are likely to benefit most from sleeping in the same bed, while those who have mismatched sleeping patterns tend to struggle to get along in other areas of their lives.